


All Bright And Brilliant

by SatiricalDraperies



Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: Alternate Universe - Magic, Deaf Aaron Minyard, F/M, First Kiss, Fluff, Getting Together, Meet-Cute, POV Aaron Minyard, aftg exchange spring 2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-02
Updated: 2020-06-02
Packaged: 2021-03-03 18:41:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,528
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24500233
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SatiricalDraperies/pseuds/SatiricalDraperies
Summary: The Vixens have magic running through their veins. It lights them up from the inside out, all bright and brilliant, shining like the grins on their faces. Even Kevin has a bit of a woozy smile on his face as one of them gives him a wave before entering the court.“Get it together,” Aaron punches him on the arm. “I don’t want to have to pick up the pieces after your lovesick ass messes this game for us.”
Relationships: Katelyn/Aaron Minyard, Kevin Day & Aaron Minyard
Comments: 9
Kudos: 24
Collections: AFTG Exchange Spring 2020, Banned Together Bingo 2020





	All Bright And Brilliant

**Author's Note:**

  * For [moth_writes](https://archiveofourown.org/users/moth_writes/gifts).



> this is for @insanemreads for the AFTG Spring Exchange! they requested college-era fluff or a magic au, so I decided to go for both
> 
> hope you enjoy!

The Vixens have magic running through their veins. It lights them up from the inside out, all bright and brilliant, shining like the grins on their faces. Even Kevin has a bit of a woozy smile on his face as one of them gives him a wave before entering the court.

“Get it together,” Aaron punches him on the arm. “I don’t want to have to pick up the pieces after your lovesick ass messes this game for us.”

Kevin rolls his eyes, but at least his focus is back. Good. The Foxes will need it.

The Exy court was built to suppress any magical interference from the outside, but the Foxes have plenty of their own to spare. Dan is fearless, her eyes filled with fire and her heart beating strong and steady as she fills her teammates with confidence and her opponents with terror. Allison is strong, alarmingly so, and she wields her racquet like it weighs nothing—and to her, it doesn’t. Even Neil’s near-invisibility has its uses, letting him slip past opponents and seem to teleport across the court. 

They’re a good group. Aaron trusts them, even likes some of them. There’s no one he’d rather be playing with, and after seeing how his wings and flight can bring the team to victory, there’s nothing he’d rather be doing. It’s a good feeling to be flying towards something, not just flying away.

* * *

They win, but just barely. Aaron didn’t need to worry about Kevin being distracted—the man’s laser-sharp focus and faster-than-light reflexes kicked in as soon as he stepped onto the court. 

And thank goodness for that! The other team had a mindreader who knew their every plan, and a couple of strongmen that Allison just barely managed to hold off long enough for Aaron to score the final goal. Still, it was a close call—closer than Aaron would have liked.

Sweaty and exhausted jogging back to the locker room, Aaron looks out the side of the plexiglass tunnel where the crowd’s still in a frenzy, not yet ready to come down from the high of their team winning. One of the Vixens—curly brown hair, round face, taller than him but just barely—waves at him. She mouths through the glass at him: “Good game.”

He freezes and stares at her long enough for Kevin to notice and pull him along. The Vixen just laughs and waves at him again. The adrenaline rush of Exy should be wearing off by now, but instead his heart rate is skyrocketing right back up.

“Kevin,” Aaron asks. “The Vixens only have magic in their voices, right?”

“Yeah, right?”

“Then why am _I_ affected by her?” Aaron signs. 

“Shit,” Kevin signs back. “You’re actually into her.”

* * *

He sees her at the library the next week—not that he’s looking. She’s already carrying five books when she reaches up to grab one more. Aaron is definitely _not_ looking as her shirt rides up a little or as the muscles in her arm stretch to pull out the book or as her stack of books tumble out of her arm and fall to the floor.

Aaron rushes over to help. It would be rude if he didn’t, really. 

“Thank you,” she signs to him. “My name’s Katelyn.”

She’s just so _beautiful!_ He’s seen how strong she is, holding up the other Vixens in their pyramids, throwing them in the air like they weigh nothing. And it doesn’t hurt that her cheeks have dimples when she smiles, like she is right now.

He’s staring, isn’t he?

“You’re studying anatomy?” he asks, quickly looking at her books to hide his blush.

“Pre-med, yeah.”

“Me too. I took anatomy last semester, if you ever want to study together or something.”

“It’s a date, then,” and she’s smiling again and Aaron needs to take a moment because are they going on a date? And then she’s pulling out her phone for him to add his number and her fingers are touching his as she takes it back. Aaron can feel his face getting redder and redder.

“I’ll see you around then?”

“I certainly hope so.” With that, Katelyn leaves, taking all of Aaron’s ability to focus on his studies with her.

* * *

He tells Kevin. Of course he tells Kevin. What else is he supposed to do, hold the excitement of a study date with Katelyn all to himself?

“We’re just studying,” he insists.

Kevin rolls his eyes. “Sure you are.”

Aaron makes a face at him. Yeah, with any luck Katelyn likes him as much as he likes her, and they might end up doing a little more than just studying, but Kevin doesn’t need to mention it. He really means that Kevin doesn’t need to act like Katelyn’s interest is a given. Maybe she really does just need a study partner, and maybe she’s the type of person who smiles that way at everyone, and maybe she really did just want to congratulate him on winning the game that one time, and maybe, and maybe, and maybe.

Maybe doesn’t mean anything.

Still, maybe doesn’t stop Aaron from pulling out his old anatomy exams and his nicest shirt to wear to the coffeehouse where they’re meeting tomorrow.

* * *

Katelyn meets him at some local coffeehouse that he’s never heard of. It looks nice, though, and she tells him that their espresso is the best in town.

“It must be,” Aaron raises an eyebrow at the number of people in the small shop. Katelyn just laughs and takes hold of his arm, bringing him up to the counter where Aaron recognizes one of the other Vixens. They talk for a bit while Aaron tries to look pleasantly interested. The Vixen pulls out two cups and fills them up, sliding them across the counter. She winks at Aaron.

“It’s on the house,” Katelyn signs to him. “Perks of being friends with the manager on duty.”

They sit down against the back wall and although there’s plenty of studying going on, the conversation naturally shifts into more personal territory when Katelyn asks about the anatomical properties of his wings.

“They’re like another set of arms, with the sockets right behind my shoulder blades,” he explains. “I think. I haven’t dissected myself to find out.”

“Maybe we’ll have to do some hands-on testing to find out,” she smirks.

Yeah, this is _definitely_ not just studying. 

“Can I take you somewhere after this?” Aaron asks. “I know this place that I think you would really like.”

‘There’s no place I’d rather go.”

* * *

“I _love_ it,” Katelyn signs. Her eyes are wide as she spins around, taking in the view. 

Aaron stands back and watches her run through the Palmetto State botanical gardens. He smiles as she reaches out to touch the hanging willow branches—it’s always been his favorite tree, too. 

She turns back to him and he’s filled with this overwhelming happiness that Katelyn (brilliant, strong, hard-working Katelyn) wants to spend time with him. He takes her hand and tugs gently, leading her deeper into the gardens.

The trees get taller and grow in denser clumps towards the middle of the garden until they push through a thicket of oaks to Aaron’s absolute favorite place on campus. 

The clearing is filled with all sorts of natural grasses and wildflowers. Bumblebees float lazily from flower to flower while birds spiral overhead. The sun shines bright and warm down on them, casting a golden hue on everything its light touches. In the middle, water cascades down a large, marble fountain. Aaron supposes there must have been some decorative ornament on top, once upon a time, but now it’s worn flat into a round platform just large enough for a person to stand on.

“Do you trust me?” he asks Katelyn.

When she nods, he wraps his arms around her and spreads his wings, lifting the two of them up into the air. She holds on to him tight, burying her face in his neck. Aaron sets her down on top of the fountain, hovering in the air right in front of her. Her arms loosen, but only a little, and she tilts her head back to look him in the eyes.

Katelyn whispers something and Aaron doesn’t need to read her lips to know that it’s his name. And then she’s leaning in and he’s meeting her halfway for the most perfect kiss. They pull apart, foreheads resting against one another, and Aaron has never felt happier than he does in this moment.

* * *

The Vixens have magic running through their veins. It lights them up from the inside out, all bright and brilliant, shining like the grins on their faces.

“Don’t you dare laugh,” Aaron warns Kevin as they leave the court after another win.

“Laugh at what?” Kevin asks, but his question is quickly answered as Aaron opens up the door separating the court from the stands. He runs towards Katelyn, who’s already halfway to him. She picks him up, spinning him around in the air, and then he kisses her like there’s nothing else he’d rather be doing.

Kevin shakes his head, but he’s smiling, too.


End file.
